middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She nods. "That's right. And you're... Taiki? I'm glad to share meeting with you properly, as you usually are, then."

This is nice. This is a nice, normal conversation with a nice person. She gestures to the creatures on his shoulders with a curious look. "Who are your small sisters?"

"Yes it is nice to meet you properly."

He smiles nervously and glances at the two creatures. "This is Gibbs. Um... Both of them. They are one creature but also many."

A bit complicated really.

Well, that has her attention. "One mind, in two bodies?" Because that is kind of fascinating.

But, honestly, she knows she's a mess at the moment. "If my entire existence on this train was to make and share pudding, I would be far happier."

He nodded, smiling at the the two Higgledies, he's not sure how it works himself just that it does.

His smile faded a little as she spoke. "Yes... That would be a better existence."

He sat down on the floor, his legs were trembling too much for him to stand for much longer but also he had something for her, he pulled it out of his arms band in a flash of golden light.

"Um... Tidus said... He said you liked the sea and asked me to bring you this."

It's a small trunk and when it opens it is full of sea shells and coral.

"Oh," Merwen breathes.

She takes a shell in her webbed hands, holds it up to the light; for a moment, the stress and pain disappears from her face. It's not exactly like the shells from home. The coral isn't exactly like the coral from home. Convergent evolution only goes so far. But it's close enough. It's familiar, and she knows what it is.

"I think my heart needed this," she says. "I was losing faith in people."

It lightened the sadness in his own heart, to see her relax for a moment, to see her look at the shell. Something familiar to her. It was very much like Tidus to have known exactly what she needed.

"I'm glad... It's been a very difficult week. It is... It is understandable what you feel."

"It's good of you to say so," Merwen says, her voice softer. She lets her hands drop, poking through the box to see the different pieces. "I think many of the people here think I am... naive, or sharing foolishness. Still, I cannot feel anything but what I feel, and I can't bring myself to share untruth."

"You should never share untruth."

He looked at her sadly, it must be hard for her, to feel alone when no one else shared her culture.

"I... I might look like one but I'm not human, I'm a kirin. That is... I'm a creature that exists to serve a king and keep them on the path that the gods deem right. We... Kirin I mean... We don't like violence or fighting. If... Smelling blood makes us sick." Which explained his unsteadiness today.

"In my heart I would like it that no one ever fought, that no weapon was ever drawn. It is always wrong, to harm other life. But..."

But they did not live in his heart, or in a world where that was possible, not his own world. Certainly not the worlds they were sent to on the train.

"I think that was why Tidus asked me to come and... share time with you today."

"A kirin."

She repeats the word, trying to commit it to memory, though words like "serve" and "king" are a little bit more alien to her native language, concepts that are a little harder for her, even if she knows words that approximate them. "That sounds like a difficult task, but my experience with 'leaders' hasn't been... good. Does he willingly share speech with you?"

Her voice drops a little. "Honestly, I'm glad for the company. Many here are so... casual with violence. It's disheartening."

He nodded, sadness shadowing his features. The pain of him walking away through the barriers is still raw.

"He does. He is very kind. I am sorry your experience has been a bad one." He too knew what it was to be under the rule of a bad leader, men like Asen... He knew too well how leadership and kingship could be used for ill.

"Many are." He nodded, "Some only fight to protect but others..."

He tries really hard not to judge.

"On Shora, we term it a sickness," Merwen says. "The desire to share pain with anyone is a sign of sickness, surely, something to heal someone of. It's... disheartening to see so many souls hurting in this way." She presses her lips together. "Though I doubt many here are interested in what I might have to say on this point."

The desire to share pain with anyone is a sign of sickness. That was very true. Even he was not immune. He had hurt. He had... He had killed but he should not have been able to. It was because he was a sick kirin, able to act against his nature.

But humans? Were they sick if they killed?

"I am interested and I think others would listen as well. Humans are just... It's more complicated for them when it comes to questions of killing."

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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